Original Word: גָּד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gad
Pronunciation: gad
Phonetic Spelling: (gawd)
KJV: troop
NASB: fortunate, fortune
Word Origin: [from H1464 (גּוּד - raid) (in the sense of distributing)]

1. fortune

troop

From guwd (in the sense of distributing); fortune -- troop.

see HEBREW guwd

Word Origin
perhaps of foreign origin
Definition
fortune, good fortune
NASB Translation
fortunate (1), fortune (1).

II. [גַּד] 1. noun [masculine] fortune, good fortune (Arabic id., Aramaic גַּדָּא, ) — Genesis 30:11 בּגד Kt, i.e. בְּגָד (בָּא גָד֑ Qr), ᵐ5 ἐν τύχῃ, by or with good fortune.

2. proper name, masculine god of fortune (Arabic We^{Skizzen iii. 171}; גד named often in Phoenician & Aramaic inscriptions, & found in Phoenician & Aramaic proper name, Bae^{Rel 76 f.} Nö^{ZMG 1888, 479}; see especially Siegf^{JPTh 1875, 356 ff.}) — with לְ + article לַגַּד Isaiah 65:11 compare Che.

Summary of Occurrences

Strong’s Hebrew 1409 (גָּד, gad) appears only twice in the Old Testament, functioning first as an exclamation of blessing (Genesis 30:11) and later as the name of a pagan divinity of “Fortune” (Isaiah 65:11). The shift from a God-centered acknowledgment of providence to idolatrous devotion reveals a cautionary biblical trajectory: what begins as gratitude for divine favor can be corrupted into worship of impersonal fate.

Genesis 30:11 – Leah’s Cry of Fortune

“Then Leah said, ‘How fortunate!’ So she named him Gad.” (Genesis 30:11).

The birth of Zilpah’s first son on Leah’s behalf prompted Leah’s jubilant proclamation. In the household struggle for Jacob’s affection, every child was received as evidence of the LORD’s ongoing covenant mercy. Leah’s cry embodies spontaneous praise—she attributes the “fortunate” event to the sovereign hand of God, not blind luck. By naming the boy Gad, she stamps that testimony on Israel’s collective memory; every mention of the tribe of Gad would recall God’s gracious provision in a season of personal rivalry and pain.

Isaiah 65:11 – The Idol of Fortune

“But you who forsake the LORD and forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny…” (Isaiah 65:11).

Centuries later, the prophet indicts Judah’s elites for replacing covenant worship with cultic meals dedicated to Fortune (Gad) and Destiny (Meni). The same word that once celebrated Yahweh’s kindness now names a rival power. Isaiah portrays apostasy in ritualistic terms—lavish banquets, carefully mixed wine—exposing how prosperity and pleasure, gifts of God, can be perverted into ends in themselves.

Theological Reflection: From Providence to Paganism

1. Gratitude vs. Fatalism. Genesis 30 models thanksgiving rooted in personal relationship; Isaiah 65 exposes a slide into fatalistic superstition. Scripture warns that when blessings are detached from the Blesser, fortune becomes a false god.
2. Naming as Witness. In biblical thought, names memorialize theological truth. Gad the son stands as a tangible marker of covenant fidelity; Gad the idol caricatures that same concept, stripping it of covenant content.
3. Exclusive Loyalty. The First Commandment brooks no rivals. Isaiah’s condemnation underscores that syncretism— even under the guise of seeking “good luck”—is treachery against the LORD who alone appoints blessing and adversity (Job 2:10).

Historical Background: Cult of Fortune in the Ancient Near East

Aramaic and Mesopotamian texts attest deities of luck or destiny, often invoked at communal meals or divination ceremonies. Tables laden with food symbolized an invitation for the god to confer prosperity. Judah’s adoption of such rites likely intensified during Manasseh’s reign and the subsequent influx of foreign influences. Archaeological finds at Arad and Lachish reveal altars whose offerings mirror Isaiah’s description, corroborating a real-world setting behind the prophet’s oracle.

Canonical Harmony

• Psalms 16:5: “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” The psalmist rejects Fortuna-style banquet theology, embracing God Himself as inheritance.
• Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Genuine fortune is personal, not random.
• Acts 14:15: Paul pleads with pagans to “turn from these worthless things to the living God,” echoing Isaiah’s challenge to abandon Fortune for the Creator.

Ministry Application

1. Discern Modern Idols. Contemporary culture markets luck, chance, and positive energy. Believers must test practices—horoscopes, prosperity charms, even “Christianized” talismans—against the sufficiency of Christ.
2. Name Your Blessings. Like Leah, verbalize testimony: recount specific providences, thus redirecting credit to God and fortifying faith communities against fatalism.
3. Table Theology. The Lord’s Supper is the antithesis of Fortune’s table. It celebrates covenant grace secured, not luck awaited. Regular, reverent observance inoculates the church against the seductions of superstition.

For Further Study

• Compare the tribal history of Gad in Numbers 32 and Deuteronomy 33:20-21 with the prophetic denunciation of Fortune to trace faithfulness versus apostasy.
• Investigate Second Temple Jewish attitudes toward astrology and how the early church continued Isaiah’s polemic against Fortuna cults (see Tertullian, On Idolatry 9).
• Explore the motif of naming in Genesis to understand how theological confession shapes identity and legacy.

גָ֑ד גד לַגַּד֙ לגד Gad ḡāḏ lag·gaḏ lagGad laggaḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts